Biophysical Settings Description and Quantitative Models

LANDFIRE (LF) calls historic (pre-European settlement) ecosystems "Biophysical Settings," or BpS. To better understand how BpS functioned across the United States, LF worked with hundreds of experts to develop descriptions and models. The results are combined into "sets" or bundles that are available to anyone for free online.

The What and the How of BpS Models

LF used an expert-based development process to create state-and-transition models that describe pre-settlement ecosystem structure and function for every Ecological System present in the current LF BpS. Each ecosystem, which LF calls a Biophysical Setting (BpS), has a description document and a quantitative state-and-transition model including succession/growth and disturbance that can be viewed and manipulated in either the Vegetation Dynamics Development Tool (VDDT) or ST-Sim. LF BpS quantitative models were first developed in an early version of VDDT, but now can be examined and modified in the latest incarnation of VDDT called ST-Sim. ST-Sim represents a significant advance in state-and-transition modeling and its use is strongly encouraged.

COLLABORATION BETWEEN LF + EXPERTS = MODELS
In 2015, LF began a three-year project to update and improve the BpS data. Two phases of the three-part project are complete. The final phase, data delivery, is expected in 2017. The updates and improvements support LF 2015 Remap.

BpS review period: While The Nature Conservancy's formal BpS model and description review period is over, LF always welcomes your expertise and feedback. Your input will help improve the updated BpS models and descriptions which will be available in CY17.